Managers love to hire competitive people – of that I have no doubt. One word of caution though, “Winning at any cost” is not an option. From time to time, in their efforts to win, managers and reps will find themselves in the news after doing things they shouldn’t have done. The “cost” for them is often [only] their jobs. The “cost” for the company is real.

The pharmaceutical industry is reeling from the crackdown. Pfizer/Warner-Lambert paid $430 million in May 2004 for engaging in a scheme to promote Neurontin for off-label uses. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP paid $355 million in June 2003 and pled guilty to giving doctors kickbacks by providing them with free samples of Zoladex, knowing the doctors would bill Medicare and Medicaid hundreds of dollars per sample. The record setter was TAP Pharmaceuticals Inc., which pleaded guilty to participating in a criminal conspiracy and paid $875 million to settle criminal and civil fraud charges. TAP provided doctors with free Lupron samples which the doctors billed to federal programs at the list price and then pocketed the payments. The drug company also offered doctors “grants” in exchange for prescribing Lupron.